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24 Episode 6.21 - "2:00 AM - 3:00 AM"
Airdate: Monday, May 7th, 2007

I’m beat. Anyone else tired? I could use a break.

Imagine how the characters on 24 must feel--I’d like a nice break from my 24 straight weeks of viewing this show, but at least it’s not 24 hours of straight LIVING the show. That would be too much to bear.

I know these kind of jokes and comments get made all the time, but seriously--when DO these people eat? Go to the bathroom? I guess in theory, there’s enough time off-camera, but then, what does someone like Jack Bauer eat? Does he hit a drive-thru when he’s got a spare second? Does he carry high-protein energy bars at all times? Is there a mess hall in CTU, or maybe a food court, featuring popular fast food chains? Wouldn’t it be a crappy job, working at the Wendy’s inside CTU? Do the employees get hazard pay if there’s an explosion or terrorist invasion, as there is in this week’s episode?

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice any Wendy’s employees crouched on the ground when Cheng’s thugs showed up to kidnap Josh Bauer, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. Then again, if they were present, I’m sure the terrorists would have chosen to pop one of them in the head instead of Milo--watching a friend get shot in front of you is tough to handle, but watching an employee who prepares your delicious Single with Cheese every day lose their life in the name of freedom and fine dining? That would be a truly scary threat.

The invasion of CTU pretty much takes the cake for this week’s episode, with the rest of the action dwelling on stale plot points a bit too long. Suddenly, the Lisa Miller thread has grown stale, since we’ve already enjoyed the comeuppance part; she’s hated by the Vice-President of the United States, and she’s committed treason, so escaping without serious prison time is probably the best she can hope for. Since she two-timed that poor, crazy old man who wanted to nuke Iran into the stone age, I personally wouldn’t much care if Lisa got herself killed by her Russian double-agent boyfriend.

I just hope the VP finds someone sweet and true to fill his empty, black heart. Maybe Nadia, now that Milo’s a corpse? Or will she be too busy with Mike Doyle to entertain any other offers?

Speaking of which, is there a more forced and awkward plot development this season than the Nadia/Doyle connection? One minute, he’s getting ready to torture her, and we’re told he’s got a creepy sexual fixation on that kind of thing; the next, he’s our back-up hero when Jack’s too busy in prison to take on the role, and he’s making lovey eyes at his former victim. It is NOT working for me.

More than anything else, I got a strong sense of vamping, vamping, vamping this week--four hours to go, and maybe not enough story to fill it out, so sure--let’s send a squad of mercenaries into CTU, and let’s use Jack’s nephew to tangentially drag James Cromwell back into the action. We can kill a few minutes with some Milo/Doyle/Nadia love triangle business, write up a nice Morris/Chloe heartbreak scene, and oh yeah, we’ve got that Lisa Miller thing to trickle out as well. Cash paycheck, go home early.

Okay, so it’s maybe not THAT bad, but it’s still not an essential hour. It’s one of those episodes that’s maybe designed to slow things down a bit before a crazy rush of action, and/or just tick out some plot threads while the good stuff waits in the wings.

Having said that, the CTU invasion was pretty thrilling, even if it did mirror the CTU explosion from a few seasons back. Milo’s death was a classic 24 moment, where out of nowhere, the unexpected and horrible arrives to remind you that this isn’t just wacky action fun and games, but a hyper-reality where the stakes are very legitimate. And deep down, even if it’s a bit of a stretch, I’m just glad James Cromwell is back for the final run of episodes. There’s some unfinished business between he and Jack, clearly, and I’m anxious to see it play out.

Just let me grab a week of shut-eye first. Jack, too. The dude deserves a nap.

iTunes Links

24 - Series
24 - Season 6
"2:00 AM - 3:00 AM"

Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.